This invention relates to a cable tension system and more particularly to a cable tension system for operating a power sliding vehicular door.
Power sliding doors for automotive vehicles such as minivans have seen recent popularity. The use of automatic doors is a great convenience for handicapped people, for young children and for other people who have their hands filled for example with groceries.
The use of pull cables have been found to be an expeditious mechanism to both open the door and close the door. When the cable system is installed, the slack of the cable needs to be taken up for the cable system to operate. Thus, it is greatly desired to maximize the ease and speed in which the cable system is installed and tensioned.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a take-up guide cable tensioning system has a first take-up drum having an outer surface for pulling on a cable assembly in a first direction, i.e. an opening direction for a power door. A second take-up drum has an outer surface for pulling the cable assembly in a second opposite direction, i.e. for closing the power door. The second drum rotates with the first take-up drum. The first drum has a slot under the outer surface. A take-up guide is slideably mounted in the slot and has spring loaded ratchet teeth normally mounted to engage complementary ratchet teeth in the slot to prevent movement of the take-up guide in one direction but allow movement in a second opposite direction. Preferably, the slot is arcuate and follows under the contour of the outer surface of the drum. In addition, it is desired that the ratchet teeth on the drum are progressively larger in the second opposite direction.
The take up guide has a section mounted to an end of a first cable of a cable assembly and when moved in the second opposite direction in the slot, takes up slack in the first cable between the first and second drum and provides tension in the cable assembly.
Preferably, the ratchet teeth are cantilevered and are resiliently movable to disengage from the complementary ratchet teeth in the arcuate slot to allow sliding movement of the take-up guide in the one direction to release the tension in said cable. It is also desired that the take-up guide has a slot therein to receive a tool that provides relative motion of the take up guide with respect to the drum having the slot in the second opposite direction.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a take-up guide cable tensioning system includes a housing having apertures therethrough for allowing passage of a cable therein and tool access therethrough. A spring loaded pulley is mounted in the housing for providing a spring-loaded tension on the cable. A tool is constructed to be passed into at least two of the apertures in the housing for rotating the first drum with respect to the take up guide and for limiting the compression of the spring loaded pulley. The first drum has gear teeth about its periphery to engage a small drive gear wheel. The tool is engageable to the small drum gear wheel to rotate the first drum with respect to the take up guide.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a take-up guide tension tool includes a handle operating end and an elongated shaft. The tool also has a socket end mounted at the end of said elongated shaft. A stop assembly is mounted about the shaft in proximity to the socket end and has a first stop member for engaging a spring-loaded pulley and a second stop member for retaining a take up guide tension assembly when the socket member rotates a drum member with respect to the take up guide. The shaft member is rotatable with respect to the stop assembly. Preferably, the handle has a lever that is connected to the shaft for driving the shaft in one selected direction and is rotatable through a ratchet connection about the shaft in a second opposite direction. It is also desired that a knob is affixed on a distal end of said shaft opposite the socket end.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a take-up guide cable tensioning system includes a take-up drum having an outer surface for pulling a cable in a first direction. The take-up drum has a slot under its outer surface. A take-up guide is slideably mounted in the slot and has at least one spring loaded ratchet tooth normally mounted to engage complementary ratchet teeth in the slot to prevent movement of the take-up guide in one direction. The take up guide having a section mounted to an end of the cable and movable in a second direction in said slot to take up slack in said cable and provide tension in said cable. At least one spring loaded ratchet tooth is cantilevered on said take up guide member and is resiliently movable to disengage from the complementary ratchet teeth in the slot to allow sliding movement of the take-up guide in the one direction to release the tension in the cable. Preferably, the take-up guide has a slot therein to receive a tool that provides rotatable motion of the take up guide with respect to the drum. The slot is preferably arcuate in shape that follows the contour of the outer surface of the first drum. The ratchet teeth on the drum are progressively larger in the second direction.
In this fashion, the cable between the first drum and door can be have its slack taken up and place the cable system into tension to provide optimal operation of the power door opening and closing apparatus.